Window-sash counterbalance



G. E. KLEIN. WINDOW SASH COUNTERBALANCE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9, 1920- w 1 39 j, 1%9 Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

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, i a e/ Wnfnessels Inventor alum uazaff Klein W 5 Arm/neg e. E. KLEIN. WINDOW SASH COUNTERBALANCE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9| I920- 1,397, 129, Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

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ltnesses Inventor 605 aft Iein am??? I D Azzomey' GUSTAF E. KLEIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WINDOW-SASH COUNTERBALANGE.

Application filed August 9, 1320.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, GUsTAr E. KLEIN, a former subject of the King of Sweden, (who has forsworn his allegianceto said King and declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States, and therefore is not now a citizen or subject of any country,) and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Tllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVindow-Sash Counterlmlances, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to window sash counter-balances and has for its primary object the provision of a counter-balance that is simple of construction and may be easily applied to the ordinary window sash and casing.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a counter-balance that will eliminate the clumsy and inaccessible weight in common use today.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1, is a side view of the counterbalance and correlating parts with a portion broken away,

Fig. 2, is a side view of the spring winding gear, viewed in a direction opposite to that in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, is a sectional view of the winding gear along the line of 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4, is a crosssectional view through the counter-balance along the line of 44 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5, is a sectionalview along the line of of Fig. 1.

The preferred form of construction consists in a metallic casing 1 having one of its sides so extended as to form flanges 2; and a removable cover 3. In the bottom of casing 1 is an aperture 4: and a diagonally extending slot 5, said slot extending from a bushing mounted around the aperture 4. Posts 6 and 7 are mounted in corners of said casing. A small gear 8 is rotatably mountedon the bottom side of said casing, said gear 8 having a portion of its outer circumference extending through a slot in the ex- ;tendedside and being adapted to engage a Specification Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

Serial No. 402,206.

rack bar without said casing. Mounted on the bushing which extends around the aperture l is a spring winding gear 9 havinga fixed shaft 10 which extends through the aperture a to the outside of the casing, said t1 9 being adapted to mesh with a small gear 1%. Molded or cut into the inner face of the spring winding gear is a spiral ball race or groove 11, said ball race being adapted to engage a ball bearing 12 mov ably seated in the slot Fixed to the shaft 10 is a flat coiled spring 13, the opposite end of said coiled spring being fixed to the post 7. Seated in a bearing member between the small gear 14 and the top of the casing is a locking member 15, said locking member having a laterally extending arm or tongue so bent at its extremity as to enable it to engage the teeth in the spring winding gear 9. Seated on the tongue and bearing against the locking member is a spring 16,

said spring 16 being adapted to bear against the lid of the casing, thus seating the locking member firmly within the bearing member. The spring 16 also acts as a frictional mem ber, holding the bent end of the tongue in or out of. engagement with the gear 9. The locking member 15 is so bent at its outer extremity as to act as a handle or turning medium.

The end of the shaft 10 which protrudes through the bottom of the casing 1 is provided with a foldable winding key 17, said winding member 17 being adapted to twist the shaft 10 and thus wind the coiled spring 13. This key is eccentrically mounted on 4 shaft 10 and when folded down against the casing locks said shaft and the spring 18 in position. The key is used mainly while the,

elements are being assembled in the casing 1, and said casing is set in the window casing.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the counterbalance is adapted to be placed in the casing opposite the edge of a sash, said sash having a rack bar so mounted upon its edge y means of the key 17 turned outward into alinement with shaft 10. After the spring is wound as tight as possible and still retaining a firm grasp on the casing and key, or by turning the key down against the casing to lock the stem 10 and spring 13 in position, said casing is inverted so that the slot runs; in a downwardly direction from the shaft 10. The spring is then slowly released as by manipulating the key, and the gear is thus allowed to turn in a clockwise direction. The ball hearing, by the force of gravity, falls down against the outer edge of the inner spiral groove, and as the spiral groove is cut to form a counterclockwise ball race, the turning of the gear in a clockwise direction with the casing in the position last indicated, will cause the ball bearing to follow the path of the ball race to its outer extremity, the ball bearing being forced down the slot by the spiral grooves of the ball race. ball race ends abruptly at its outer end and the ball bearing is firmly seated in the outer extremity of slot 5, the gear 9 will be pre vented from turning any farther in a clockwise direction, thus preventing the further or total unwinding of the spring 13. The casing is then inverted so that the slot 5 extends upwardly from the shaft 10 and in this position it is placed into a slot in the window casing and made fast, as shown in big. 1. A sash with a rack bar mounted on one of its stiles is then placed in the window and the rack bar is meshed with the protruding teeth of the small .gear with the window open about six inches. The sash when firmly positioned within the window frame by flanges or other means, is slowly closed, which movement causes the small gear to wind in an anti-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, which in turn causes the large gear to wind in a clockwise direction. When the large gear is wound in a clockwise direction the ball hearing within the slot 5 and in engagement with the spiral ball race on the spring winding gear will follow the course of the spiral ball race to the lower extremity of the slot and by the force of gravity will be kept in the lower extremity of the slot and not allowed to return to the outer extremity of the ball race again. Hereafter, until the casing is removed and inverted, the ball bearing will act as a bearing for the spring winding gear.

After positioning the device within the casing as heretofore described and the sprin is unlocked, the operation of the counterbalance is as follows: Upon the lowering of the sash the small gear 14 is revolved in a counter-clockwise direction which in turn revolves the large gear 9 in a clockwise direction. The spring 13 being firmly fixed to the shaft 10 is thus wound, said winding causing a force to be exerted on the gears v:9

Inasmuch as the and 1a which force is transmitted to the sash through the medium of the rack bar. the weight of the window is thus counterbalanced by said force. As may be readily seen the raising of the window will be as sisted by the unwinding of the coiled spring 13 and said window may be stopped at any position in its upward travel and be held in such position by the counter-balancing effect of the coiled spring.

The window may be locked at any point in its upward or downward travel by meshing the bent portion of the tongue of the locking means with the teeth of the spring winding gear 9. This operation is performed by merely turning the handle in a clockwise direction. tionally engaging the inner surfaces of the top and bottom of the casing, acts to prevent the bent portion of the tongue from slipping out of engagement with the gear teeth.

lVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended. claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z- 1. An article of the class described comprising a casing; a coiled spring mounted in said casing; a spring winding gear mounted in said casing and interlocked with said spring; a locking member for said gear; means bearing against the side of said looking member to retain it in set position; and cooperating means in said casing and on a window sash whereby said window sash may be counter-balanced, substantially as described.

2. An article of the class described comprising a casing; a flat coiled spring mounted in said casing; a spring winding'gear mounted in said casing and interlocked with said spring; a locking member adjustably mounted and adapted to interlock with said winding gear; means engaging said locking member to retain it in either locked or unlocked position; and cooperating means in said casing and on a window sash whereby said window sash may be counter-balanced, substantially as described.

3. An article of the class described comprising a casing; a coiled spring mounted in said casing; a. spring winding gear mounted in said casing and interlocked with said spring; means cooperating with and bearing between said winding gear and said casing to prevent said spring from unwinding before desired and to act as a bearing member;

The spring 16, fricand cooperating means in said casing and on a window sash whereby said window sash may be counter-balanced, substantially as described. V

4. An article of the class described comprising a casing; a coiled spring mounted in said casing; a spring winding gear mounted in said casing and interlocked with said spring; rotatable means cooperating with said winding gear to prevent said spring from unwinding before desired; and means cooperating with said winding gear to lock a window sash in anydesired position, substantially as described.

5. An article of the class described comprising a casing; a coiled spring mounted in said casing; a spring winding gear mounted in said casing and interlocked with said spring; ball means cooperating with aball race in said winding gear and with a slot in said casing, to prevent said spring from unwinding before desired; means cooperat ing with said winding gear to lock a window sash in any desired position; and cooperating means in said casing and on a window sash whereby said window sash may be counter-balanced, substantially as described.

6. An article of the class described comprising a casing; a coiled spring mounted prising a casing; a shaft rotatably mounted in said casing; a coiled spring mounted on said shaft in said casing; a spring winding gear mounted on said shaft andinterlocked with said spring; a locking member for looking said winding gear in position; and a winding key mounted on the exterior of said shaft for manually rotating the same and winding said sprin In testimony whereof I have signed my vname to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAF E. KLEIN.

l/Vitnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Po'i'rs, Rosa K. Tem. 

